A thought-provoking and exciting start to a riveting new dystopian trilogy.

As an obedient orphan of the U.N.A. (the super-country that was once Mexico, the U.S., and Canada), Alenna learned at an early age to blend in and be quiet—having your parents taken by the police will do that to a girl. But Alenna can’t help but stand out when she fails a test that all sixteen-year-olds have to take: The test says she has a high capacity for brutal violence, and so she is sent to The Wheel, an island where all would-be criminals end up.

The life expectancy of prisoners on The Wheel is just two years, but with dirty, violent, and chaotic conditions, the time seems a lot longer as Alenna is forced to deal with civil wars for land ownership and machines that snatch kids out of their makeshift homes. Desperate, she and the other prisoners concoct a potentially fatal plan to flee the island. Survival may seem impossible, but Alenna is determined to achieve it anyway.

You all know I love dystopians – and if you don’t well.. now you do! *Hurray* But even if I didn’t, a prison island? Epic, right?

Canadian blogger, wife, mother, coffee lover, and sarcastic at heart! She has had a love for all things bookish since before Amazon and eReaders existed *le gasp*. You can also find her organizing tours and other fun things at Xpresso Book Tours.

Due to my ‘day job’ this probably isn’t one I would normally pick up. The thought of reading anything that reminds me of my ‘day job’ makes me shiver in a bad way. However, this does sounds fascinating. And I love something that reflects our own history, however distorted.

YES! I actually just heard about this book yesterday, but it’s definitely taken a top spot in my Want list! The cover (which I hope is the final) is absolutely breathtaking and it just sounds amazing. A prison island full of outcasts for being prone to brutality? I can feel my breathe catching already.

Great pick!My WoWEnter my giveaway here: an April release OR a book of your choice! Two winners!

You’re always introducing me to these ridiculously amazing-sounding books and my TBR list JUST KEEPS GETTING BIGGER. I blame it all on you. (Okay, not all. But some of it.)

I really, really love the look of this one. It seems a lot darker and gritter than some dystopians releasing these days, and I’m particularly fond of the fact that romance isn’t explicitly mentioned in the pitch. That doesn’t mean there won’t be any, but it does mean if there is any, it’s likely to be a subplot, just some extra flavor. I like that a lot.

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The Reviewers

Giselle

Giselle is a wife and mother who lives on books and coffee - what else is there?
She's known to be sarcastic and rarely serious. She loves reading books, blogging
about books, chatting about books, and smelling books. Although YA is her current
favorite she has a wide variety of genres that she enjoys. She likes her characters
bad-ass, her plots full of action and her fair share of gore - though she will
indulge in a chick-lit here and there. In short, she'll read anything. She's
also the mind behind Xpresso Book Tours.

Amy

Hi! I'm Amy! I'm no good at this, but I'm a mom of one little girl
who really thinks she is a princess. I love reading all sorts of
books (horror being a favorite genre of mine), love meeting new
people, drinking lots of coffee, and eating chocolate. If you want
to know anything else about me, just ask.

Faye

A 21 years old Filipina who loves books, games, languages, and most
especially, food. Secretly wishes to be an astronaut so she can
explore the stars. Has a love-hate relationship with Philippine
politics. To get into her good graces, offer her foie gras, or tempura
shrimp. A JRPG game works, too.

REVIEWED IN FEBRUARY

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